Crosby U3A Website
Crosby U3A Website
The inclusion of a website is an innovation for Crosby U3A. Your feedback and input are essential in order to develop the site fully. By contacting the Web site Administrator you can suggest items that can be added.
The site has been developed using the U3A Site Builder. The Site builder provides options to easily create impressive looking web sites designed to support the way local U3A’s operate. For the website to be effective it must be regularly and accurately maintained.
The website includes details of the groups and events in Crosby U3A.
Links have been provided for all the local U3A groups, i.e. those that can be reached by public transport from Crosby. Even if you do not want to contact them they provide an insight into possibilities for Crosby. Many local U3A groups allow visitors to meetings and they are usually happy to offer advice and help.
Links have also been added to National and Regional U3A sites, local interests and attractions. Where outings have been planned links are included to the web sites of the places to be visited.
As web site administrator I admit I approached this task in the spirit of attempting to create a site demonstrating all the features of the U3A site builder may be going beyond the design remit. Site content can easily be changed, more details added to include contributions from all interested parties within Crosby U3A.
This cannot be achieved unless members come forward with contributions. The initial selection of pictures is from my own limited resources, perhaps not the best for the U3A. Pictures can be added to your contributions. But pictures must have either a local interest or be linked to one of our activities, and you should provide a short narrative to accompany the picture.
Group coordinators can elaborate group details and have Email links included. When pictures are added long descriptions can be included. Where a group has regular meeting there is an opportunity to post a few line saying roughly what you on doing at the meeting. Your phone numbers are on the website, most group coordinators have no Email address available. If you are a group coordinator and would like to be able to receive Emails please Email the website administrator, when you have an Email link your phone number can be removed from the site if you like. However on most U3A sites group coordinator phone numbers are shown. Email links can either be a visible Email link ( you will need this if you want to receive attachments) or a button link which will sent a plain text message directly to you.
Over next few months there will be many changes making the website truly yours rather than largely mine.
The maintenance of the website should not be left to one person if only to provide holiday cover. In other words I want to train up at least one other site administrator. Ongoing maintenance after the start up tuning phase should be minimal so being a site administrator will not take much of your time. You do not need to be very technical to learn how to be a U3A site administrator.
For the website to be effective it must be updated regularly. This normally means adding event details, removing expired events, adding links to documents such as newsletters, putting new pictures in the gallery.
It is important that our web site appeals to potential new members as well as satisfying the needs of the existing membership. If you look at a random selection of U3A sites you will find some very good ones and some not so good ones. My personal challenge is to make sure that Crosby’s site is one of the best and in doing so help to raise the profile of Crosby U3A. This cannot be done without your input.
Please email with details of any changes required, you can include pictures and/or documents as attachments where applicable. If you just want to send a message with no attachments you can use contact link instead. You may have spotted errors or omissions in some of site details, perhaps you want to start a new group or ask for a new event to be included. Events that have expired are automatically removed.
For a local U3A to flourish there needs to be a wide range of groups and where number have to be limited may be more than one group covering the same interest. Suggestions for new events and Groups are needed, especially any that you would like to coordinate. If you have skills and hobbies that you would like to share and interests that you want develop then why not start a new group.
A list of suggested groups
Gentle Cycling - monthly * (local or by Merseyrail depending on numbers)
Swimming - weekly could include Aquafit*
Home baking - monthly *
CardMaking
Scrabble
Bridge or Whist
Digital Photography monthly *
Doing more with Ms-word and Excel (short group sessions) *
Aerobics and/or Dance Exercise (using DVD or Wii) *
Creative Writing - monthly *
Initial ( *) coordinator available, note only two people so in due course other permanent coordinators will need to take over running most of the groups. Remember that being a group coordinator really is not a major commitment especially when the group becomes established and you can deputise.
More suggestions for groups really are needed as well as provisional members / coordinators to get them started.
So please explore the site, offer constructive criticism and input because it is your site even though the site administrator(s) may do most of the work. Several volunteers to become familiar with web site maintenance, it's not hard and training will be given.
The website is the World's window on Crosby U3A as well as your guide to what we do so it is important that it is both appealing and accurate.
It allows details to be updated between meetings in real time at very short notice.
Thanking you in anticipation of your help in making our web site a great site for a great local U3A.
Gordon Eve-Tatham